Brazilian football icon Pele has died at the age of 82

Thursday 29 December 2022

Brazilian football star Pele has died at the age of 82, his agent has told the Associated Press.

The former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since 29 November.

A medical report just before Christmas showed that he needed care for cardiac and renal dysfunction, having been battling colon cancer since September 2021.

Pele - originally named Edson Arantes do Nascimento - began playing for Santos at the age of 15 and the Brazilian national team a year later, bursting onto the world football scene as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup.

During his international career, he won three World Cups - in 1958, 1962 and 1970 - the only player to achieve this.

His role in Brazil's third victory, in Mexico in 1970, has gone down in football folklore, as he played a key role in arguably the sport's greatest ever international team.

His glittering 20-year career from 1957 to 1977 saw him score 757 goals in 831 games, although Santos claim his tally was closer to 1,000.

naptu2:
This was fantastic teamwork. What I've always loved about it is that Pele knew that Jairzinho would be right there. There would have been a lot of calls for fouls and even cards if this happened today.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZGRSyTaRko

Pele is streaking away (this one was part of the NTA's advert for Italia '90. It left me transfixed).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UzRsvCsC4c

naptu2:
I think I've finally found it! I think this is the match that Sir Bobby was referring to. England had great stars like Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Gordon Banks, but Pele destroyed them. Afterwards Jimmy Greaves said, "Pele is on another bloody planet".

The Brazilian football confederation hosted a tournament in 1964 to mark its 50th anniversary. The tournament (just like the Tournoi de France in 1997) was also designed to showcase the favourites for the next World Cup (hosted by England in 1966). The participants were Brazil, Argentina, England and Portugal.

naptu2 post=95310975:


Sir Bobby Charlton once told the BBC World Service why he hated Pele (he didn't really hate him, but you'll soon understand what he meant).

He was one on one with Pele during a match and Pele said, "Goal" and then feinted one way, went in the other direction around Sir Bobby and scored.

That is, he said "Goal" before dribbling Sir Bobby.

Brazil 5-1 England.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uk3R6GG220